Photographic shutter.



P. J. MARKS. PHOTOGRAPHIC SHUTTERr APPLICATION FILED NOV. 23, 1915. 1,243,086. Patented Oct. 16,1917.

4 SHEETS-SHEET P. J. MARKS.

FHOTOGRAPHIC SHUTTER. APPLICATION FILED nov. 23, I915.

Patented Oct. 16, 1917.

4 inzzrs-suzn 2.

INVE TOR Paalfflfaili ATTORNEYS WN AR W M W WITNESSES:

P. J. MARKS.

PHOTOGRAPHIC SHUTTER.

APPucmou FILED nov. 23. 1915.

Patented 001$. 16, 1917.

4 suns-sneer 3.

P. J. MARKS.

PHOTOGRAPHIC SHUTTER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 23. I915- Patented Oct. 16, I917.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

PAUL J. MARKS, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY, I

OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

PHOTOGRAPHIC SHUTTER.

' scription of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the reference-numerals'marked thereon.

My present invention relates to photography and more particularly to photographic shutters and-it has for its object to provide an improved pivoted blade shutter that may be wound up in one operation to furnish the power for a numberof successive operations or exposures whereby the shutter will have "the advantages of the automatic type of shutter and also the speed strength of a set shutter. Another object of the invention is to provide asimple and efiicient retarding mechanism for regulating the duration of automatically timed exposures. The improvements are further directed toward the winding mechanism, the operating means or controller and the adjusting means for setting the timing devices. To these andother ends the invention resides in certain improvements and combinations of parts all as will'be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the drawings: I Figure 1 is a front elevation of a shutter constructed in accordance with and illustrating'one embodiment of my invention;

. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the bottom of the shutter case with the actuating and controlling mechanism removed to reveal the blade mechanism;

Fig. 3 is a detail plan View of one of the cover plates with an upper cover plate removed to reveal the registering dial of the winding mechanism;

Fig. 4 is a front view of the. shutterwith all of the cover plates removed;

Fig. 5 is a similar view with the timing mechanism and certain other parts removed;

Fig. 6 is a detail section taken substan tially on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4;

- V .Fig. 7 is another detail section taken substantially on theline 77 of' Figfi5;

5? Fig. 8 and Fig. 9 are front views. partly in section through the actuating. device and with still more of the me'chanism removed,

Specification of Letters ,Patent.

Patented Oct. 16, 191 '7.

Applicatio filed. November 28, 1915. Serial No. 62,946.

these Views being principally illustrative of and instantaneous or automatically timed 'the several figures indicate the same parts.

Referring first to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, 1 indicates the shutter casing, 2 the central lens tube. connection and 3 Fig. 2 the annular chamber surrounding the latter in which 'most of the mechanism to be described is housed. The chamber 3 is closed by an annular cover plate 4 and a separate extension 5 on this, secured by screws 6, covers an extension 7 of the casing that accommodates part. of the winding and actuating mechanism.

Any suitable blade mechanism may be employed, one comprising five blades indicated at 8 being'utilized in the present instance. This blade mechanism is confined, as usual, between the bottom of the casing 1 and a partition 9 that separates the blade mechanism from the actuating and control mechanism. These blades have pivots 1'0 journaled tition-9 to turn on fixed axes and are also .pivotally engaged each by a pin 11 on a 1 rotary shutter ring 12. Reciprocation of the manner hereinafter described.

Before leaving Figs. 1 and 2, it may b explained generally with reference thereto wardly of the partition to be acted upon I by the shutter actuating mechanism in a that 1 1 is the shutter winding key, 15 is the disk that is rotated to adjust the mechanism disk for adjusting the aperture of the usual iris diaphragm shown at 17 in Fig. 5. Rotation of the disk 16 turns a gear 17 Fig.

4 meshing with a toothed ring 18 connected,

to the diaphragm blades but as this forms no part of the present invention, detailed description is not'necessary."

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 4, 5 6, the winding key 14 is fixed to an arbor 19 journaled in the cover plate 5 at 20 and in the partition plate 9 at 21. A clock spring 22 has its inner end fixed to the arbor and its outer end anchored to' the casing at 23. Below the spring is a large gear 24 having a recess on its under si e closed by a disk 25 which formsthe bearing for the gear on the arbor 19 with relation to which latter the gear is free to turn. The gear is provided with radial slots 26 Y forming stops for the engaging end 27 (Fig. 10) of a segmental spring pawl 28 occupying the recess in the gear and secured to the arbor by screws 29. The gear 24. is prevented from rotating to the right or clockwise by a pawl 30 Fig. 5 and thus the spring may be wound byturning the key 14 to the right and the gear placed under tension tending to turn it to the left through the medium ofthe pawl 28 locked in the stops 26. It is normally prevented from turning to the left, however, bythe shutter operating lever 31 through the medium of the following mechanism:

An intermediate gear 32 transmits motion from the gear 24 to a gear 33' on an arbor 34. Fixed to this gear 33 and lying beneath it is a member having four contact teeth 35-35 and 36.36 the last mentioned two teeth being offset in a plane above the first mentioned two Fig. 17. The shutter operating member 31 has an enlarged portion 37 Fig. 5 pivoted at 38 and pro ided with two stop shoulders39 Fig. 16 and 40. The

stop shoulder 39 is in the plane of the contact teeth 36-and is normally held in their path by a spring 41, Fig. 8 while the stop shoulder 40 is offset into the plane of the contact teeth 35 though it is normall held out of 7 their path by, the same spring' 4l. The normal position of the shutter is shown in Fig. 5 and at. this time one of the contact teeth 36 is always in engagement with the stop .shoulder39 which looks the gear 33 and also, through gear 32, the large gear 24 and preventsthe latter from being turned by the spring.

Whenthe operating lever 31 is depressed, the stop shoulder 39 is withdrawn from the contact tooth 36 and the stop shoulder 40 is thrust into the path of the succeeding contact tooth 35 which it engages to halt the gear train as shown in Fig. 16, after about a half revolution of the small gear 31 to its normal position under the influence of its spring 41, the engagement at 3540 is broken again but the subsequent movement of the train as the next contact tooth 36 moves into engagement with the other stop shoulder 39 is an idle one and is so slight that it permits the large gear 24 to rotate hardly at all.

The blade mechanism is actuated by the spring under the control of the gearing in the following manner:

Formed on the disk 25 or otherwise fixed with relation to the large gear 24 is a star wheel 42 (Figs. 6, 8 and 9) that revolves to the left as the gear train is driven by the spring and that co5perates with a vibrating escapement member 43'Fig. 8 surrounding it. This escapement member is pivoted to the extension of the partition member 9 at 44 on one side of the star wheel and has a notch 45 Fig. 9 on the opposite side of the star wheel that engages one of the pins 11 of the blade ring 12, the adjacent portion of the member being offset into the plane of the pin, as shown, to occupy a recess 46 Figs. 6 and 9 in the partition 9. Contact with the star wheel is made by two inwardly projecting cam teeth 47 and 48 on the member 43. The normal position of the star wheel and escapement relatively to each other is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5 with the tooth 47 in endwise engagement with one of the teeth of the star wheel. The escapement member being in its extreme position to the right, the shutter blades are closed and the beforementioned endwise engagement of the teeth locks them closed so that they can not be jarred open or opened at all except through the movement of the actuating mechanism. When the gear train is released, the two teeth referred to pass out of engagement as shown in Fig. 8, and concurrently therewith another tooth on the star wheel rides against the escapement tooth 48 which latter climbs into endwise engagement with the star wheel tooth as shown in the same figure. The member 43 is thus swung to the left opening the shutter blades and while they are open, the endwise engagement of the tooth 48 is continued so that the blades are locked in their open position in the same manner that they are locked in their closed position.

On the whole, therefore, it will be understood that during one actuation of the shutter, that is, the opening and closing of the blades, the escapement member 43 makes one complete vibration from the position of .Fig. 5 to that of Figs. 8 and 9 and back to the small gear 33 oi the train. The two arms 53 lie in the same plane and the impact of oneand then of the other transmits the power. of the actuating mechanism to the retarding mechanism upon successive operatlons of the shutter. When the shutter actuatmg mechanism is released from the position of Fig.5, a contact arm 53 Fig. 8 revolves in advance of the stop tooth 35 that is to next en age the stop shoulder. 40 and picks up the finger 52, as shown in Fig. 8.

i. It finally slips ofl of the said finger when such stop engagement takes place, as shown .20.

in Fig. 16, and allows the finger and arm 49 toreturn tq/initial position under the influence of sprlng 51.

A segment 54 Fig. 8 on the arm 49 is in constant mesh ,with a small gear 55 fixed to the shaftof an escapement wheel 56 journaled in'the partition 9 and .in a spaced 1 ournal plate 57. -Co5perating with this escapement wheel is an anchor 58 pivoted at 59 so that as the sweep of the segment .arm

49 rotates the esc'apement wheel, the anchor 58 thereon vibrates rapidly. To impede its vibration, however, .a segment 60 thereonmay mesh with a small gear 61 on the shaft of a fly wheel 62 journaled in a rocking .35

yoke 63' pivoted at 64. There is thus opanism the inertia of the fly wheel 62 with its operating segment, the resistance of the escapement 56' and the inertia of the arm 49 which latter constitutes, by reason of the gearing 55 and the contact at 52, an intermediate mechanism or member interposed between ,the actuating mechanism and the main retarding elements and all-of these act in the capacit of retarding means r o To vary the effect of the retarding action in the different automatically timed exposures, the throw of the-segment arm 49 is regulated. To this end, an arbor. 65 turned .by the adjusting disk 1.5 on the exterior of the shutter casing carries fixed thereto a cam 66 Fig. 5 coiiperating with a pin. 67 Fig. 9 on an extension68 of the segment lever 49. When the lever isto have its full throw from thestarting position of Fig. 5,

' the cam is in the position there shown, but

when it is desired to shorten the throw, the cam is turned to the position of Fig. 11, for instance, which, in this partl'cularstructure,

shows the adjustment for 1/25th of a sec- .ond. 'The segment lever is thereby prevented from returning fully under the in- "fluence of spring 51 and therefore rec ives the impact of the contact arm 53 at a later point though it leaves contact therewith to the force of the actuating mech only of value in always at the same point. In other words, the contact arms of the actuating mechanism pick up the. retarding device later and do not remain under its impeding influence so long when the lever 49 is set for a short throw and a rapid exposure.

In order to permit the segment arm 49 to return quickly under the influence of, its spring 51 ,to its initial position after one operation of the shutter, anarrangement is provided which automatically throws out part of the retarding mechanism after the said mechanism has performed its retarding function. The gear 61 on the shaft of the finger 52 during an operation of the shutter,

the tooth36 that has beenreleased from the stop shoulder 39 comes in contact with this arm 70 before the other contact tooth '35 has'reached stop shoulder 40 and depresses said arm 70. This rocks the journal yoke 63 against the tension of its spring 69 and carries the gear 61 out of mesh with segment 60 permitting the segment arm 49 to return the escapement without the drag of the fly wheel 62 being upon it. In fact, the flywheel is normally held out of gear, as shown in Fig. 5, as, after coming in contact with the arm 70, the tooth 36 is halted and it does not progress far enough to leave this contact while the locking ofthe actuating mechanism is being transferred from one of the contact teeth 35 at 40 to the other contact tooth of the pair that actuatesthe arm 70.

This throwing out of the fly wheel is not r urning the partsfout is utilized for the ggry rapid exposures so that even though the throw of the main segment 54 is reduced to a minimum, it will also itself find minimum resistance in the The arbor 65 is preferably provided with a'ratchet device 73 Fig.5 to prevent it from being turned in the wrong direction.

For the ordinary time exposures, not of predetermined duration, and for bulb exposures time and bulb stops are provided under the control of an extension 74 Fig.

9 of the main operating lever 31. Referring more particularly to Figs. 12 to 14, the time stop 75 is pivoted at 76 and its pivot is encircled by a spring, one arm 77 of which tends to rock the time stop to a position in the path of an abutment 78 on the retarding lever 49. The other arm 79 of the spring similarly tends to move the bulb stop 80 pivoted at the same point, into the path of the abutment 78. An arm 81 on the time stop extends in front of the extension 74 of the shutter operating member while an arm 82 on the bulb stop extends in rear of such extension. A cam 83 Fig. 13 fixed uppermost on the arbor 65 has a recess 84 therein and the time stop 75 may enter the path of the abutment 78 on the retarding lever only when the cam 83 is turned to a position in which a projection 85 Fig. 14 on the arm 81 may enter this recess. Similarly, a cam 86 on the arbor 65 beneath cam 83 (Fig. 7) has a recess 87 Fig. 13 that takes a projection 88 on the bulb stop 80 to permit the bulb stop to enter the path of the abutment 78.

When the arbor 65 is turned so that bothtime and bulb stops have freedom of movement, as shown in Figs. 12' and 14, the shutter is adjusted for a time exposure. Upon the first depression of the shutter operating lever 31, the abutment 78 of the retarding lever 49 catches on the bulb stop 80, as shown in Fig. 12, the time stop being moved out of the Way by the extension 74 engaging the arm 81. As the operating lever returns to normal position, it releases the bulb stop by engagement with the arm 82 and the abutment 78 is transferred to the time stop which follows under the influence of its spring 77, the shutter blades being held open. Upon the next actuation of the operating lever, the abutment 78 is released from the time stop (Fig. 14) by deflection of the arm 81 and falls between the two stops allowing the segmentlever 49 to complete its throw and the shutter blades to close. j

A slight turn of the arbor 65 rides the projection 85 of the time stop on to the cam 83 and out of the recess 84 and the time stop is kept out of position altogether for a bulb exposure, as shown in Fig. 13. Thus, when the abutment 78 rides off of the bulb stop on the return of the operating lever 31, it is not caught again and allows the shutter blades to close. The recess 87 in the cam 86 of the bulb stop is sufliciently long to allow it to accommodate the projection 88 after the projection of the cam stop can no longer enter the recess 84 in its cam.

It will be observed that the time stops do not get the full force of an impact from the strong winding spring 22 of the actuating mechanism because they control the latter through the retarding mechanism and they indicated on a dial 89 (Fig. 3) journaled 0n the cover plate 5 beneath a further cover plate 90 superposed upon the latter and having an opening 91 therein. The dial is provided with the numbers of the successive exposures viewable through the opening 91 and is fixed to a gear 92 driven by a gear 93 on the winding arbor 19. As the spring is wound up a stop 93 on the gear 92 limits the winding movement by engaging a fixed abutment 94 on the cover plate 5 and when the spring is run down, the stop halts against a similar abutment 95.

The shutter is used in the following manner:

Thespring 22 is Wound up by means of the winding key 14 which stores enoughenergy, in the present instance, to carry the shutter through twelve operations. The actuating parts are then in the normal position of Fig. 5v If the very shortest or instantaneous exposure is desired, the dial 15 is set with 200 uppermost in Fig. 1. This adjusts the various cams on the arbor 65 of the dial so that the retarding element 62 is thrown out of gear by means of its arm 7 0; the contact 52 of the segment arm 49 is held so far over that it will hardly be picked up at all by the actuator contacts 53 and hence the arm given such a slight throw as not to operate the escapement 56 to an appreciable extent, if at all, and both the time stop 75 and the bulb stop 80 are held inoperative or in such positions as to permit the passage of the abutment 78 on the segment lever 49 between them were it caused to move. For lengtheningthe exposure, the dial 15 may be progressively moved to register the other higher fractions, in which case the cam on the arbor 65 allows the finger 52 of the arm 49 to move a progressively greater distance into the path of the actuating contacts 53 which thereby give it a greater throw and cause a more prolonged drag from the gearing with the retarding devices, the time and bulb stops being still inoperative. If time or bulb exposures are required the dial 15 is moved to register T or B in which case, the appropriate cams on the dial arbor 65 allow one or both of the stops 75 and 80 to come into play in the path of the abutment 78 on the segment lever and halt the cycle of movement of the actuating nfechamsm so that it is divided into two movements of the shutter blades, during one of which they are opened, and during the other of which they are closed. At this time, the retarding element 62 is held out by its cam and the slowing up of the opening and closing movements because the segment lever 49 that acts on the rest of the retarding mechanism is also the part that cooperates with the time stops, is not suflicient to be of disadvantage. The dial turns only in the one direction and may be reset at any time to cause a proper readjustment of the parts to truly carry out its reading.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a photographic shutter, the combination with a blade mechanism, of actuating mechanism therefor comprising a gear having stops thereon, a spring for driving the gear, an arbor for winding the spring about which the gear freely turns, and a spring pawl carried by the arbor'and cooperating with the stops on the gear.

2. In a photographic shutter, the oombination with a blade mechanism, of actuating mechanism therefor comprising a gear hav-: ing a recess in one face, and stops in a wall of the recess, a spring for'driving the car, an arbor for winding the spring and a out which the gear freely turns, an annular spring. glawl secured to thearbor and occupymg t e recess in the gear tocooperate with'the sto s on the latter and a disk secured to an forming the bearing. of the gear on the arbor and closing the recess in the latter.

- 3. In a photographic shutter, the combination with a blade mechanism, of actuatmg mechanlsm therefor comprisln an arbor, a winding spring connected t ereto, a.

star wheel on the arbor and a vibratory escapement member cooperatively connected to the blade mechanism and having two points of contact with the star wheel to open and close the blades with successive impacts from the star wheel while traveling in one direction. I,

4. In a photographic shutter, the combination with a blade mechanism, of actuating mechanism therefor comprising an arbor, a

winding spring connected thereto, a star wheel on the arbor and a vibratory escapement member pivoted on one side of the arbor to embrace the star wheel and having two inwardly projecting oints of, contact with the latter to open an close the blades with successive impacts from the star wheel while traveling in one direction, and an opcrating connection between the escapement member andthe blades on the opposite sid of the arbor from that of its pivot. '5. In a photographic shutter, the combination with a blade mechani m, of'actuatmg mechanism therefor comprismg a vibratory member operatively connected with the blades, a winding spring and a driving member operated by the windingspring and engagmg the vibratory member to open and to close the blades and to positively lock the blades at the conclusion of each movement.-

6. In a photographic shutter, the combination with blade mechanism, of actuatin mechanism therefor comprising a star whee a winding spring therefor, and a vibratory member operatively connected with the blades and having two contact teeth to take successive lateral impacts from the star wheel while the latter is travelin inone direction and open and close the s utter, and

a shutter operating member operatively con-- nected to the star wheel to halt the latter 'n endwise engagement with one such conta t tooth to positively lock the blades at the conclusion of their movement.

7 In a hotographic shutter, ,the combination wit blade mechanism, a retarding device and a shutter operatin member, of blade actuating mechanism em odying a,r0- tary element having two sets of contacts arranged in.-difl'erent planes cooperating, re-

spectively, with the retarding device and shutter operating member.

8. Ina photographic shutter, the combination with blade mechanism, a retarding device and-a shutter operating member, of

blade actuating mechanism comprising gearing and two sets of contacts arranged in different planes to coiiperate, respectively, with the retarding device and shutter operating member and mounted upon 'the'same arbor and in fixed relationship with one of the gears nism.

. 9. In a'photographic shutter, the combiof the blade actuating mechanation with blade mechanism, and actuating mechanism therefor, of retarding means, a member connecting the actuating mechanism with the retarding means and a time stop 00- operating with said connecting member.

10. In a photographic shutter, the combirespectively, with the connecting member,

the timestop and the bulb stop.

12.. In a photographic shutter, the combination with blade mechanism and actuating mechanism therefor, of retardlng means, an

adjustable member, connecting the actuating mechanism with the retarding means, a time stop and a bulb stop for the actuating mechanism, and an arbor provided with an adjusting member and three cams thereon cooperating, respectively, with the connecting member, the time stop and the bulb stop in different planes. I

13. In a photographic shutter, the combination with blade mechanism and actuating mechanism therefor, of retarding means embodying gearing, a segment arm meshing with the gearing and operated by the actuating mechanism and a time stop cooperating with said arm.

14. In a photographic shutter, the combination with blade mechanism, and actuating mechanism therefor, of a retarding means embodying an intermediate mechanism driven by the actuating mechanism having a returning spring and a shiftable element adapted to be thrown in and out of gear with the intermediate mechanism, a controlling member for the shiftable element and means for operating the intermediate mechanism and the said controlling member successively in the order named during the shutter operating movementof the actuating mech anism to throw out the shiftable element after the retarding means has performed its function and permit the quick return of the intermediate mechanism under the influence of its spring.

15. In a photographic shutter, the combination with blade mechanism and actuating mechanism therefor, of a retarding means comprising an arm connecting it with the actuating mechanism, a spring for returning said arm and a shiftable element adapted to be thrown in and out of gear with the arm, a controlling member for the shiftable element, and a rotary contact member driven by the actuating mechanism having a slipoif contact with the connecting arm and arranged to successively engage first it and then the controlling member during the shutter operating movement of the actuating mechanism to throw out the shiftable element and permit the quick return of the rest of the retarding mechanism.

16. In a photographic shutter, the combination with blade mechanism and actuating mechanism therefor, of a retarding means embodying an intermediate mechanism having a returning spring and a shiftable element adapted to be thrown in and out of gear with. the intermediate mechanism, a controlling member for the shiftable element, means for operating the intermediate mechanism and the said controlling member successively in the order named during the shutter operating movement of the actuating mechanism to momentarily throw out the shiftable element after the retarding device has performed its function and permit the quick return of the intermediate mechanism and separate means for looking out the shiftable element during the operative movement of the retarding mechanism.

17. In a photographic shutter, the combination with blade mechanism and actuating mechanism therefor, of retarding means connected with the latter embodying a shiftable element, a controlling means for the shiftable element to throw it out of gear, and a common adjusting member for limiting the throw of the retarding means and for operating the'controlling element.

18. In a photographic shutter, the combination with blade mechanism and actuating mechanism therefor, of retarding means connected with the latter embodying a shiftable element, a controlling means for the shiftable element to throw it out of gear, time and bulb stops, means connecting the latter with the actuating mechanism to control the same, and a common adjusting member for limiting the throw of the retarding means, for operating the controlling ele-' ment and for regulating the time and bulb stops.

19. In a photographic shutter, the combination with blade mechanism and actuating mechanism therefor, of a retarding mechanism comprising an escapement wheel, an anchor cooperating therewith, a segment on the anchor, a fiy wheel geared with the segment and a segment arm geared to the escapement wheel and operated by the actuating mechanism. I

20. In a photographic shutter, the combination with blade mechanism and actuating mechanism therefor, of a retarding mechanism comprising an escapement wheel, an anchor cooperating therewith, a segment on the anchor, a fly wheel having a gear movable into and out of mesh with said segment, a segment arm geared to the escapement wheel and'connected with the actuating mechanism, and means for shifting the fly wheel gear.

PAUL J. MARKS.

Witnesses RAYMOND A. WILSON, EDITH WATERSTRAAT. 

